Basford Falls

The air was thick. I could feel the moisture build on my skin with every step I took. The sun’s rays beat down on me with no relief. Combine the two and it was down right oppressive. Relief was needed but where? I had two options to beat the heat, hit the water or hit the air conditioning. With graduation, college orientation, and graduation parties galore, it had been a while since I’d had a chance to get outside so I decided to hit the water. My usual question was where? I live in a community surrounded by it but the beach really didn’t appeal to me that day so I decided a little adventure was in store. I packed up my youngest son and we hit the road. Today we would hit some waterfalls to cool off and have a little fun.

We loaded up with snacks at Stewarts and cruised on down the road. With the air conditioning in the truck was on high and a little classic rock in the air, the hour long trip seemed to fly by. Before I knew it we were there. Stepping out of the truck we immediately noticed that the humidity was still high but there was a bit of a backwoods breeze in the air. It felt almost bearable. I grabbed our small backpack and we hit the trail. It was a short trek to Basford Falls but we were hoping for a big reward at the end.

The fern lined flat dirt trail was a joy to walk on. Trees in full bloom shaded us from the searing sun. I’d guess that it was a solid 10 degrees cooler under the forest canopy. Dragonflies zipped from leaf to leaf as we slowly strolled along. Birds serenaded us while we talked about summer vacation plans. Two thirds of the way down the trail the topography changed. It went from small rolling hills to a much steeper decline. Not enough to be of any concern but we knew we had to be getting close. Another 100 feet down the hill and the sound of rushing water could be heard.

Finally between two rock ledges the river could be seen. As we walked out onto the flat rocks, roaring water raced in front of us. The cool river mist felt heavenly on our skin. We decided to take some pictures and explore this little oasis. It was so relaxing even the frogs found joy in a small puddle.

Once we had a good look around it was time to get wet. Out of my hiking shoes and into the water I went. The refreshing water felt marvelous on my warm body. I found a small waterfall to sit under as its flow wrapped around my shoulders.

After a half hour of splashing around like a three year old we decided it was time to head back to the truck. We took in the view one last time and headed out.

On the hike back we discussed what a great little place this was and we would have to do it again. While driving away we both agreed it wasn’t quite time to go home yet. Just a few miles down the road was another waterfall we decided to check out. This time when we arrived we found several cars parked along the roadside. Again the hike was short. Just a half mile walk along a perfectly manicured trail. The turbulent water could be heard from quite a ways down the trail. At the falls the path splits up into multiple directions. We decided to go over to the top of the falls and get a bird’s eye view of everything.

We decided to go down to the bottom of the falls and feel that cool Grasse River mist again on our skin. While we were there I noticed a large boulder and a small rock wall along the bank of the river. I couldn't restrain myself, I had to climb them.

Then we went down to the beach where families and dogs were playing in the water escaping the summer’s heat. After an hour of watching the magnificent falls we finally decided it was time to head home. We both agreed we needed to share this place with the rest of the family and come back again soon. These falls were a perfect way to cool off and enjoy a Northern NY Adventure.

About this location:

Basford Falls and Lampson Falls are both located just inside the blue line of the Adirondack Park near Russell, NY. Basford Falls sits inside the Tooley Pond tract of the Adirondack forest preserve and Lampson Falls rests in the Degrasse State Forest. Both falls are very unique and well worth the short hike to both of them.

Both trails are very family friendly and easy to navigate. These falls are part of the St Lawrence County Great 8 Waterfall crawl challengehttps://www.stlctrails.com/great-8-challenge. I would encourage everyone to check out these locations. They are close to home and the views are spectacular. If you are looking for an easy hike, a place to relax, or a place to cool off, look no further than these two waterfalls.

You will truly appreciate these Northern NY Adventures.

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures

“Make Life an Adventure”